Orange County taxpayers may owe $2M for suspect's medical bills

He allegedly slit his girlfriend's throat, set their house aflame to cover up his crime and suffered horrific burns in the resulting blaze.

Comment

By CHRIS MCKENNA

recordonline.com

By CHRIS MCKENNA

Posted Mar. 23, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By CHRIS MCKENNA
Posted Mar. 23, 2013 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

He allegedly slit his girlfriend's throat, set their house aflame to cover up his crime and suffered horrific burns in the resulting blaze.

More than two months later, David Stevenson of Port Jervis remains under care in a burn unit at Westchester Medical Center, and Orange County taxpayers face ballooning medical and security expenses for the murder suspect.

By the time he's well enough to move to the jail, the total cost for his intensive medical treatment and around-the-clock supervision by county employees could approach $2 million, said Jones, citing an estimate by the jail's medical contractor.

Jones, Sheriff Carl DuBois and the jail's health administrator briefed lawmakers about the mounting expense behind closed doors Thursday, partly to warn them about the resulting drain on the jail's budget.

But they also are faulting the Orange County District Attorney's Office for securing an indictment of Stevenson while he was hospitalized and too incapacitated to flee, thereby saddling the county with the responsibility for his massive medical bills.

Stevenson, 38, was indicted Jan. 29, two weeks after he allegedly killed TyRochelle Haughton, a 35-year-old mother of four.

Firefighters found Haughton's body in the couple's modest home on Mountain Avenue while putting out a fire.

Neighbors say Stevenson pounded on their doors that morning and was later spotted lying face down in the street, shirtless and burned.

Arraigned in his hospital bed in Valhalla, Stevenson faces charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and arson, among others.

If prosecutors had held off on presenting charges to a grand jury, Stevenson's medical bills would have gone to Medicaid, his government insurer, Jones said.

Instead, they go to Orange County.

District Attorney Frank Phillips said Friday that his office sought the indictment because of the seriousness of the crime and uncertainty about how badly Stevenson was injured.

"We couldn't get a good handle on his condition, and we had to move forward," Phillips said. "It was a murder case."

Phillips also said Stevenson already had been charged by the time Jones met with him and his staff to discuss the costs that would be incurred.

"Quite honestly, we were not aware of the financial consequences to the county until after the fact, and it's certainly something that is distressing to us," Phillips said.

Jones argued that prosecutors could halt the expenses at any time by asking a judge to release Stevenson without bail while he remains hospitalized.

Phillips said he had to look into that option.

Ultimately, the county could submit Stevenson's medical bills to Medicaid for partial reimbursement. But Medicaid would pay only the federal government's 50 percent share of the expense, and only at its negotiated, lower rate for the hospital's charges, according to David Jolly, the county's social services commissioner.

Security is a big part of the rising cost. The sheriff's office, which is responsible for Stevenson's supervision, has two correction officers posted at the hospital at all times, costing the county about $2,500 per day in overtime, Jones said.

The Burn Center, located at Westchester Medical Center, treats hundreds of burn victims each year and is staffed by plastic surgeons, critical-care nurses, physical therapists and other personnel, according to the hospital's website. It's the only burn center between New York City and the Canadian border in eastern New York.